Dustin Hoffman Accused of Sexual Harassment by ‘Genius’ Producer

Television writer and producer Wendy Riss Gatsiounis became the second woman to publicly accuse Dustin Hoffman of sexual harassment on Tuesday, telling Variety about an incident she says took place in 1991.

Riss Gatsiounis, currently an executive producer on the upcoming second season of National Geographic’s “Genius,” says the harassment occurred during a meeting with Hoffman and screenwriter Murray Schisgal (“Tootsie”) to talk about adapting her play, “A Darker Purpose,” into a movie.

Riss Gatsiounis had met with them once before and, she says, came to the second meeting with a revised pitch, only to be cut off. “I go in, and this time it’s like Dustin Hoffman’s really different. He says, ‘Before you start, let me ask you one question, Wendy — have you ever been intimate with a man over 40?'” Riss Gatsiounis said.

Riss Gatsiounis said Hoffman next said, “It would be a whole new body to explore,” while opening his arms, and then tried to convince her to go with him to a clothing store inside a hotel nearby. She said Schisgal was also present at this meeting, and that he tried to convince her to go to the store with Hoffman.

Riss Gatsiounis says she repeatedly declined the request, after which Hoffman left the meeting. Then, she said, “Schisgal says, ‘Look, we’re not really interested in your play, because it’s too film noir-ish.’ And that was it.” She was in her early 20s at the time, while Hoffman was 53.

“A Darker Purpose” was eventually adapted into the 1996 film “The Winner” starring Rebecca De Mornay and Vincent D’Onofrio.

Hoffman later said in a statement, “I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation. I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am.”

Timeline of Fox Sexual Harassment and Other Scandals, From Roger Ailes to Bill O'Reilly (Photos)

The sudden ousting of Fox Sports President Jamie Horowitz and the suspension of Fox Business Host Charles Payne this week are the latest signs of a sea shift in the Murdoch-run entertainment giant in its response to allegations of sexual harassment and other questionable behavior by executives and on-air talent.

July 9, 2016: Six other women claim Ailes harassed themFormer Republican National Committee field adviser Kellie Boyle and model Marsha Callahan were among the six women who accused Ailes of previous harassment. Ailes denied the claims.

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July 19, 2016: Megyn Kelly says she was sexually harassed by AilesAmid an external law firm’s investigation into the multiple claims against Ailes, then primetime host Megyn Kelly told investigators that she had been harassed by Ailes years ago. Kelly wrote in her memoir about talking to investigators about the allegations.

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July 21, 2016: Ailes resignsFox News announced that Ailes had resigned as network chairman after two decades of dominating cable news, walking away with a $40 million severance package.

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Jan. 10, 2017: Bill O’Reilly settlement comes to lightNews surfaced that the “O’Reilly Factor” host had previously settled with Juliet Huddy, a Fox News employee who claimed he tried to derail her career after she rebuffed his romantic advances.

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March 8, 2017: Fox News settles with Tamara N. HolderFox News paid former on-air contributor Tamara N. Holder more than $2.5 million following allegations that Fox News Latino vice president Francisco Cortes tried to coerce her into performing oral sex on him.

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March 24, 2017: Fox News comptroller Judy Slater sackedFox News has fired longtime comptroller Judy Slater after an internal investigation concluded she had engaged in a pattern of racist comments and behavior; several of the employees later filed lawsuits against the network over the incidents.

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April 1, 2017: Claims against O’Reilly settled for $13 millionA New York Times investigation found that O’Reilly and Fox News had paid $13 million in total to five women who had worked or appeared on “O’Reilly Factor” over the years and made claims of sexual harassment or other inappropriate behavior.

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April 3, 2017: Another lawsuit against Ailes and Fox NewsFox News contributor Julie Roginsky filed a lawsuit accusing Ailes of sexually harassing her. She also alleged that Fox News co-president Bill Shine retaliated against her for making the claims. Ailes denied the allegations, and Shine declined to comment.

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April 19, 2017: Fox News cuts ties with O’ReillyFox News announced that O’Reilly would not return to the network following its external investigation into claims of sexual harassment.

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April 21, 2017: Debbie Schlussel claims Sean Hannity invited her to his hotelFormer Fox News guest Debbie Schlussel claimed that primetime host Sean Hannity had once invited her back to his hotel after an event they attended, and that she was never invited back to Hannity's show after she rebuffed his advances. The host denied the claims. Schlussel later clarified that she did not consider the encounter to constitute sexual harassment. "I thought he was weird and creepy," she told LawNewz.

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April 24, 2017: Andrea Tarantos files her own lawsuitAndrea Tantaros, a former host of the Fox show “The Five,” filed a new lawsuit against Ailes, Shine and other network executives, claiming that an extensive online harassment campaign had been waged against her. Fox News sought arbitration and called Tantaros “not a victim” but “an opportunist.”

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May 1, 2017: Bill Shine resignsFollowing Roginsky and Tarantos’ lawsuits, Fox News announced that Shine was exiting the network.

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May 19, 2017: Bob Beckel fired at Fox NewsFox News fired “The Five” co-host Bob Beckel after he was accused of making an insensitive remark to an African-American employee. Fox News human resources took less than 48 hours to investigate the incident and recommend dismissal, a network executive told TheWrap.

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June 19, 2017: Investigation by the state of New YorkThe New York State Division on Human Rights launched an investigation into Fox News, over her sexual harassment claims by former “O’Reilly Factor” guest commentator Wendy Walsh against O’Reilly, Walsh’s attorney Lisa Bloom said. O’Reilly has denied Walsh’s claims.

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July 3, 2017: Fox Sports fires Jamie HorowtizJamie Horowitz was abruptly ousted from his position as president of Fox Sports National Networks amid allegations of sexual harassment against Horowitz, an individual familiar with the matter told the New York Times. Horowitz’s attorney denied any misconduct.

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July 6, 2017: Fox Business suspends Charles PayneCharles Payne, the host of Fox Business’ “Making Money,” was suspended by the network due to an investigation over a three-year relationship with a married political analyst who appeared as a guest on Fox Business and Fox News, the Los Angeles Times reported. Payne denied allegations of sexual harassment, calling them an “ugly lie.”

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Here’s everything you need to know about accusations that the company has faced so far

The sudden ousting of Fox Sports President Jamie Horowitz and the suspension of Fox Business Host Charles Payne this week are the latest signs of a sea shift in the Murdoch-run entertainment giant in its response to allegations of sexual harassment and other questionable behavior by executives and on-air talent.